Kandy | Sri Lanka | Travel | Destinations

Ancient Cities in Sri Lanka

Kandy is a major city in Sri Lanka, located in the Central Province in Sri Lanka. It is the second largest city in the country after Colombo. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and is also the capital of the Central Province.

Kandy is the home of The Temple of the Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988.

Experiences

Around Kandy

Temple Of The Tooth

Temple of the Tooth is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the sacred relic of the tooth of Lord Buddha.

Elephant Orphanage

Many elephants here were separated from their herds or lost parents to poachers. We can arrange for visitors to help their loving "mahouts," or handlers, feed them.

Kandy PERAHARA

If visiting during August (exact dates vary annually), attend the Kandy Perahara which is an extravagant pageant paying homage to the tooth relic with a nightly procession through town that lasts 10 nights and grows progressively larger.

Mahiyangana Temple

Mahiyangana Raja Maha Vihara is an ancient Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. It is believed to be the site of Gautama Buddha's first visit to the country and is also one of the Solosmasthana, the 16 sacred religious locations in Sri Lanka.

Gems And Jewellery

Stop at a highly reputable Kandy jeweller and have a privately guided tour of its workshop with a senior gemologist. Throughout its history, Sri Lanka’s precious stones have been coveted by locals and foreign powers alike. The island is best known for three varieties of sapphire – light blue, royal blue and the exceedingly rare cornflower blue

Royal Botanical Garden

Royal Botanical Garden in Peradeniya is situated about 5.5 km to the west from the city of Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka and attracts 2 million visitors annually. It is renowned for its collection of a variety of orchids.

Embekka Devalaya

Embekka Devalaya was built by King Vikramabahu III of Gampola era in Sri Lanka. The Devalaya in Embekka is dedicated to the worship of Mahasen, popularly known as Katharagama Deviyo